Preamble:
Wei Yan was beheaded by Ma Dai, which caused widespread discussion in the history of the Three Kingdoms, but the truth is rarely known to future generations. The fateful duel between Wei Yan and the Ma brothers reflects the cruelty and helplessness of that era.
So, what kind of truth is hidden in this seemingly simple struggle between loyalty and treachery? Can the ministers of the fallen country and the clan of the criminal ministers really escape the punishment and punishment of heavenly principles?
There are different opinions, and the truth is difficult to discern
In 234 AD, Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of Shu Han, died of illness while resisting Cao Wei's army in Wuzhangyuan. When he was dying, he entrusted the general Wei Yan to continue to command the Northern Expeditionary Army in order to fulfill his last wish to unify the world. Wei Yan can be said to be the most outstanding military general of Shu Han at that time, he was brave and good at fighting, and made great contributions to Shu Han. Taking on the heavy responsibility of the Northern Expedition, Wei Yan also seemed to be able to use his talents to continue the Northern Expedition.
However, the good times were short-lived. In the second year, Wei Yan was beheaded by his subordinate Ma Dai in the army. This shocking incident was met with different accounts at the time. Some people say that this is the result of the struggle for power between Wei Yan and Yang Yi, who is also a general of the Northern Expedition.
Wei Yan thought that he was talented and refused to obey Yang Yi's command, so Yang Yi designed to get rid of him. Some people also say that this was Wei Yan's intention to rebel, and Ma Dai executed the prime minister's last order to kill him. Some people also said that Wei Yan was straightforward by nature, but his words were too radical and he was framed by traitors.
What is the truth about Wei Yan's murder? It is difficult for later generations to verify, and it seems that it can only be simply attributed to Wei Yan's overly arrogant and stubborn personality. However, if it was just a matter of personality that led to being killed by his own subordinates, could it really be so simple? If it was just a dispute of personality and tongue, Zhuge Liang would not have left a letter, so how could Ma Dai do it? The truth of history may be far more complicated than people seem. All kinds of signs show that there must be an inside story hidden in this that is not known to future generations.
The arrogant army will be defeated, and the fate will be unfortunate
Before discussing the mystery of Wei Yan's murder, it is necessary to review the intricate relationship between him and the Ma brothers. Wei Yan, Ma Chao, and Ma Dai were all born in the hometown of Xiliang, and they were heroes on the grassland. All three of them were brave and good fighters, and they could have been friends in trouble. However, their fate has been changed by the changing times.
At first, Cao Cao used a stratagem to kill Ma Chao's father, Ma Teng, and seized the land of Xiliang. In order to avenge his father, Ma Chao led the Liangzhou soldiers and horses to the east, wanting to be ashamed. But after all, he was defeated by the strength of Cao's army, so he could only flee to Shu Han with his younger brother Ma Dai. And Wei Yan still fought alone, fighting to the death against Cao Wei's army.
Liu Bei admired the talent and bravery of the Ma Chao brothers, and took them under his command to fight against Cao Cao together. And Wei Yan is still a marginal force in Jingzhou, although he has made great contributions, but he has never really attached himself to Shu Han. By the time of the Northern Expedition, Ma Chao and Ma Dai had already become a fierce general of Shu Han, and Wei Yan officially enlisted in the army. At that time, the status and fate of the three had drifted apart.
Perhaps, this is the fundamental reason why Wei Yan and Ma Chao and Ma Dai are drifting apart. Ma Chao and Ma Dai are loyal to Liu Bei and regard him as his father; And Wei Yan wandered the rivers and lakes alone, never taking root. He regarded his colleagues as ants and despised both civil and government affairs. failed to win Liu Bei's trust like Ma Chao and Ma Dai's brothers. When Zhuge Liang went on the Northern Expedition, Wei Yan really rose, but he also buried the disaster of death.
The undercurrent is surging, and the disaster is in Shuzhong
During the Northern Expedition, Wei Yan opened the border for the Shu army, made great contributions, and was relied on by Prime Minister Zhuge Liang. However, he did not know the inspection points, and relied on his military exploits to be arrogant and lawless, which caused the dissatisfaction of many civil and military officials. even looked down on Yang Yi, who was also a general, and wanted to forcibly seize the command of the Northern Expeditionary Army.
Yang Yi saw that Wei Yan was lawless and wanton, and knew that he was not in Shu, so he had to secretly report Wei Yan's rebellion to the rear lord Liu Chan. Liu Chan was shocked and immediately ordered Prime Minister Zhuge Liang to deal with the matter. Zhuge Liang knew that Wei Yan was a rare fierce general in the world, and he was reluctant to cut the grass and eradicate the roots.
So Zhuge Liang weighed it again and again, and decided to secretly confess to Ma Dai and gave him a secret order, asking him to monitor Wei Yan's every move at all times. The content of the letter is very simple, it only says: "If this person has the intention of rebelling, you will deal with it according to my letter." "Zhuge Liang knows that the brothers Ma Chao and Ma Dai are loyal and can be entrusted with big things.
Who knows, in the following year, Zhuge Liang died of an unfortunate illness in the Battle of Wuzhangyuan! When Wei Yan learned that Xi had descended from heaven, he immediately wanted to seize the command of the Northern Expeditionary Army. He was even more lawless, ignoring all generals and claiming to be in power. Even Zhuge Liang's last order was ignored, and openly disobeyed the military order. Yang Yi once again accused Wei Yan of rebellion, and Liu Chan was furious and ordered a crusade.
However, the problem is that Wei Yan's prestige in the Northern Expeditionary Army is unparalleled, and no one dares to touch him in the slightest. On this day, Wei Yan laughed in the camp and shouted to the soldiers around: "I, Wei Yan, am here, who of you dares to kill me!" He shouted three times to show that his authority was inviolable. Just before the third shout was finished, Ma Dai suddenly rushed out of the tent, his hand raised and fell, and Wei Yan's head fell to the ground!
It turned out that as soon as Ma Dai heard Wei Yan shouting out the rebellious declaration of "Who dares to kill me", he immediately thought of the secret order left by Zhuge Liang. The letter only said: "If this person shouts 'Who dares to kill me' three times, you will follow my military orders and crusade against him!" Ma Dai immediately slashed and killed, Fang Bao Sheji.
Skynet is magnificent, negligent but not leaky
In this way, the rebellion of Wei Yan seems to have been settled. But there's more to it than that. Why did Zhuge Liang choose Ma Dai to kill Wei Yan? There is another very important reason for this, that is, Ma Dai's brother Ma Chao.
Ma Chao once said something meaningful to Liu Bei before his death: "If I encounter an accident in the future, my younger brother Ma Dai is the only bloodline of my Ma family, and I hope that Liu Gong will take care of his life and make the Ma family's incense inheritance." It can be seen that Ma Chao is a hardcore patient of Liu Bei Group's confidants, and Ma Dai is also the object of Liu Bei's support. As soon as Ma Chao dies, Liu Bei will definitely repay him; Ma Dai's addition to Wei Yan was also arranged by the Liu family.
And so, the truth came to light. Although Wei Yan is a general, he cannot be trusted by Liu Bei; Although Ma Chao and Ma Dai are outsiders, they regard Liu as their own. Wei Yan is arrogant and lawless, and Liu Bei's family will definitely punish him; Ma Dai executes the mandate of heaven and will protect it. Liu Bei penetrated the hearts of the people with the insight of the sky net, and won it in one fell swoop.
Skynet is magnificent, negligent but not leaky. Wei Yan, a traitor who died in the country, could not escape the punishment of national law; The Ma clan of the criminal ministers cannot avoid the punishment of heaven. The ancients said: There is no way to bring good and evil, only people invite themselves. History will eventually be judged, good people will see the light of day, and evil will be punished.
Epilogue:
History has passed, and it is difficult for us today to fully understand the truth. But what is certain is that good retribution will eventually reverberate, and that evil will be punished sooner or later, which is the definitive conclusion of history. Only by learning the lessons of history and reflecting on themselves can we become the trendsetters of the times and create a better tomorrow.